A board handpicked by President Donald Trump has voted to rename Washington’s prominent performing arts venue as the Trump-Kennedy Center.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the decision, attributing it to the “unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building. Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation.”
Trump, who chairs the board, has frequently referred to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, named after a Democratic predecessor, as the “Trump Kennedy Center.”
When questioned on December 7 about renaming the venue after himself as he walked the red carpet for the Kennedy Center Honors program, Trump stated such a decision would rest with the board.
Earlier this month, he spoke of a “big event on Friday at the Trump Kennedy Center” before quickly correcting himself to “excuse me, at the Kennedy Center,” prompting laughter from his audience.
He was referencing the FIFA World Cup soccer draw for 2026, in which he participated.
The proposed name change is unlikely to be welcomed by some members of the Kennedy family.
Maria Shriver, a niece of John F. Kennedy, previously described legislation introduced in Congress to rebrand the center as the Donald J. Trump Center for the Performing Arts as “insane” in a social media post in July.
She wrote, “It makes my blood boil. It’s so ridiculous, so petty, so small minded. Truly, what is this about? It’s always about something. ‘Let’s get rid of the Rose Garden. Let’s rename the Kennedy Center.’ What’s next?”
This follows Trump’s earlier decision to convert the Kennedy-era Rose Garden at the White House into a patio by replacing the lawn with paving stones. Another Kennedy family member, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., currently serves in Trump’s Cabinet as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
While Trump showed little interest in the Kennedy Center during his first term, his return to office in January saw him replace board members appointed by Democratic presidents with his staunch supporters, who subsequently elected him as board chairman. He has also criticized the center’s programming and physical state, vowing to overhaul both.
Trump secured over $250 million from the Republican-controlled Congress for renovations to the building, attended the opening night of the musical “Les Misérables,” and last week hosted the Kennedy Center Honors program, an event he did not attend during his first term. The awards program is scheduled for broadcast on CBS and Paramount+ on December 23.
